Keller Williams Announces Diversity Certification

Keller Williams (KW) unveiled Agent of Distinction, a diversity certification for agents and leaders.

"We're excited to announce Agent of Distinction, our new business certification that draws upon the power of diversity to fuel business growth and innovation," said Carl Liebert, CEO of kwx, an integrated home experience company. "We unleash unlimited potential when we lean into equity and inclusion."

A five-module, professional education offering, Agent of Distinction provides the training, resources, and tools needed to tailor and grow a real estate business to appeal to a wider customer base.

"The residential housing market is becoming more diverse and homeownership in America has an increasingly multicultural future," said Julia Lashay Israel, head of DEI, kwx.

"With Agent of Distinction, our agents have access to the best tools to serve this ever-changing market," said Israel. "And it's all part of our strong commitment that the future of real estate has opportunity and promise for all."

Agent of Distinction training modules:

• Grow Through Our Differences
• Dimensions of Diversity
• Inclusive Advertising and Marketing
• Grow Your Business Through Community Partnerships
• Create an Inclusive Business Plan

Agent of Distinction benefits:

• Identify best practices for working with clients from various dimensions of diversity.
• Learn steps to build and implement a diverse business strategy.
• Learn about demographic trends affecting real estate.
• Locate community organizations to partner with to grow your business.

Prior to registering for Agent of Distinction, agents are required to take two prerequisite DEI courses, "Unconscious Bias" and "Color of Real Estate," which are available to all industry agents free of charge.

Available to KW agents, Agent of Distinction is offered in a self-paced, on-demand format. In 2022, KW has plans to open the new certification to all industry agents. Find more information here.

Israel chairs the Social Equity Task Force (SETF) for associates and kwx's internal employee DEI committee. In 2020, KW announced the creation of the SETF.

At that time, Gary Keller, executive chairman of kwx and co-founder of KW, charged the SETF to "come forward with recommendations for action to eliminate any racial disparity within our company, our industry, and how we can lead the way in the communities where we live and work."

Agent of Distinction stems from those ongoing efforts. In 2020, KW also added a new core belief "Equity: Opportunities for all" to the KW Belief System.